Demountable freight container



May 4, 1943. B. F. FITCH ErAL 2,317,985.

DEMOUNTABLE FREIGHT CONTAINER m Mx y* l 92 BY MR, 92 o foo 90 +4 @ignvWmnoRNEYJ. l

May 4,1943- B. F. FITCH Erm. 4 3l-7,985

DEMOUNTABLE FRIIGI'I' CONTAINER u Filed Aug. 2; 1940' s sheets-sheet 2ATTORNEYS May 4, l943 B. F. FITCH ETAL 2,317,985

DEMOUNTABLE FREIGHT CONTAINER Filed Aug. 2. 1949 s sheets-sheet smvENToRJ.

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www, MATTO' EYS Patented May 4, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEDEMOUNTABLE rumeur CONTAINER Benjamin F. Fitch, Greenwich, Conn., andRagnar A. Norbom, New York, N. Y., assignors to National FitchCorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Originalapplication October 13, 1939, Serial No. 299,328. Divided and thisapplication August 2, 1940, Serial No. 349,699

3 Claims. (C1. 98-6) This application is a division of our copendingapplication, Serial No. 299,328, filed October'lB, 1939, showing ademountable container and a truck body adapted to carry package freightand mounted interchangeably on a highway truck or railway car.

The body is so constructed Vthat it may be lifted with its load bysuitable hoisting mechanism for transfer from one Vehicle to another, ormay be horizontally skidded from vehicle to vehicle, as desired. Oneobject of the invention is to provide a body in a form whichv shall bestrong and stiff and adapted for construction in large dimensions, andat the same time shall be comparatively light to reduce the unpaidweight to be carried.

The present application is concerned With features of the body whichprovide for ventilation of the interior. This is accomplished by aspecial formation of the floor and roof of the body, which enables airto pass upwardly from beneath the body, through the interior and outthrough the roof. For claims on other features of the body hereindisclosed reference is made to our parent application above-mentioned.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our container; Fig. 2 isa sectional plan just above the floor, as indicated by the line 2 2 onFig.1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary verticalcross-'section on a larger scale in a plane indicated by the line 4-4 onFig. 1; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of theV floor frame in a plane atright angles to Fig. 4, as indicated by the line 5 5 on Fig. 4; Fig. 6is avertical section through one of the end walls ofA the container asindicated by the line 6-'6 on Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 is a Verticalcross-section through a portion of one of the side walls, and the roofof the body is indicated by the line '1 -'I onFig. -1.

The above views are duplicates of corresponding views in our parentapplication referredto, and hence disclose matters not herein claimed,but for the sake of completeness, we will describe the entireconstruction shown, as well `as the' particular features with which thisapplication is 'concerned'and which will be 'found illustrated in Figs.2, 4 and 7.

Referring rst'to Figs.' l, 2 and 3, III designates'the floor frame ofthe body carrying suitable iiooring, designates the side walls of thebody, 39 the end walls connectedA with the vside walls at the corners.Both the side walls' and end walls extend downwardly about the floorframe, tolwhich they are secured; 40 indicates an arched roofconnectedvto the side walls and end walls. A pair of side doors (each doorcomposed of two panels hinged together) and a corresponding pair of end`doors at their ends, are provided.

Suitable lift hooks are provided at the eaves, two on each sideconnected with the sides and floor frame by a bracing to allow the bodyto be lifted with a heavy contained load, for transference from Aonevehicle to another.` Also, on the underside of the floor frame are` skidrails 9i?,v which in this instance are arranged transversely of the bodyand enable it to be readily transferred by surface interchange fromvehicle to vehicle, the floor frame having side sockets i Il for'theattachment of push-and-pull bars to effect the surface interchange.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the floor frame of the body is made up oflongitudinal side sills I2, end'sills I3, transverse beams, some singleas at I/i, andV others double, as at I5, and diagonal horizontal bracingI6.- Theside and end sills areV angle plates withv horizontal andvertical flanges, and the end jsills further include channel members 39.Both side and end sills are reinforced by the side and 'end plates ofAthe body, as hereinafter explained. f

lThe transverse beams I4 of the floor frame may be I-beams. Thetransverse beams i5, which forni the main cross-members of the floorframe comprise two outwardly facing channels spaced apart as shownin'Fig. 5, connected together by bolts I'I passing through their websand through an intermediate wooden distance strip I8 eX-r tendinglengthwise `of the channels and flush with them at the top.

The floor planking I l is made in comparatively.

short sections extending lengthwise of the body and rests on the topflanges of the transverse beams I4 and I5 and is held in place by boltsI9 passingv downwardly through the planking and through the distancestrips I8 of the transverse beams. At the ends vof the container theplanks are held down by being bolted to the top flange of the sillchannel 36, their end'sbeing protected by the'vertical flange'of theen'd sills I3, as shown in Fig. 6. This construction enables the readyremoval andreplacement of anyiloor plank which becomes injured or wornin use. The heads of the bolts I9 are preferably sunk into the plankingso as to leave a perfectly flush fioor and the nuts of the bolts are onthe underside of the strips I8 and between the twochannel'beamsI5,'Where they are protected but readily accessible.

It'will be seen from Figs. r2 and 4, that the floor planking II does notreach the sides of the container except at the doors. This leaves aventilation space along the floor at each side. As the container issupported by skid rails located at spaced intervals beneath its bottom,as hereinafter described, there is suicient Vertical open space beneaththe sides and ends to allow access of air to pass beneath the floorframe and up into the interior, and thereafter escape through openingsin the roof, as hereinafter explained, thus furnishing effective andcontinuous ventilation.

The sides 2!! of the container are vertical metal plates engaged attheir lower portions tov the outer faces of the side sills I2, and attheir lower' ends bent beneath these sills and welded to them on boththe vertical and horizontal regions of engagement. This makes a strongand rm construction, and at the same time is considerably lighter thanan embodiment employing a standard channel beam of corresponding depth.

The end sill construction, which has been described, is illustrated inFig. 6. The end plates outside of the door frame 30 extend downwardlyinto engagement with the upright flange of the sill member I3, to whichthese plates are welded. At the corners the side plates-20 and the endplates Sil are reinforced by vertical angle bars 29 welded to them asindicated in Figs. 7 and 8.

At their upper ends, the side plates 20 are flanged inwardly at 4I, in adirection slightly above horizontal, and provide a roof support which isreinforced by a plate 42 welded to the side and internal flange thereof.Resting on the flanges 4I, 42 is the roof 40. This roof may be of theconstruction shown and claimed in Patent No. 2,135,526, issued November8, 1938, assigned to Motor Terminals, Inc. Such construction comprisestransverse pipes 44 welded to the flanges 4I and corrugated sheetingresting Aon the pipes and welded to them. If a plurality of corrugatedsheets is employed, each sheet overlaps the endmost corrugation of theadjacent sheet and then such parts may be effectively retained in placeby being welded together or by a surmounting pipe vabove the two sheetswhich at its end is connected to the body side, as shown in the patentjust mentioned.

Whether or not the outside pipes are employed, the construction of theunderside of the roof sheeting is substantially fas shown in Figs. 6 and7, which leaves ventilation space beneath the corrugated sheets andabove the supporting plates 4I and 42. This space leads to the exteriorof the body at the eaves. We have found the natural space for thecorrugations is greater thanneeded for ventilation, and we thereforereduce this space and at the same time furnish a protection for theedges of the roof sheeting by bolting a longitudinal angle bar 46 (Fig.7) on to the top of the sheeting at its edges. The downward flange o'f`this angle bar is of such depth as to leave just the desired spacebetween it and the upper surface of the bent-in side plate 4l.

At the ends'of the body, Ithe corrugated sheets 45 are flangeddownwardly, where they are secured by rivets 4l passing through anexterior reinforcing strip 48 and the downward flange of a transverseangle bar 49 which conforms to the curvature of the roof. The top plate3| of the container end is secured to the vertical flange of this anglebar by the same rivets 41, and extends downwardly to the top of thedoorway. The doorway at the top is completed by a transverse channelbeam 32, facing downwardly, having its outer flange 33 abutting theinner face of the plate 3l, and its inner flange 34 lying on the insideof the end plates 3|] and welded to them, as shown in Fig. 6. Thedownwardly facing channels stillen the body ends and also provide aprotection for the doors when closed. The top vertical end sheet 3i isbent outwardly at its lower edge to provide a water drip.

The end doors 35 are hinged to vertical Z-bars 3l, welded to the endplates 3U. These Z-bars at their upper ends abut the web of thecross-channel 32, and are there welded to it. The end doors, whenclosed, lie entirely beneath the channel beam 32, andare thus wellwithin the extreme end boundary of the body provided by the endoverhanging roof, and, hence, are not likely to be injured intransportation or handling of the body, should the end of one bodystrike another body or some obstruction.

At the sides, the wall is reinforced by a longitudinal Z-barconstruction over the doorway, shown'as an angle bar 2| welded to theside plates 20, having an outwardly extending flange 22 which is weldedto the inwardly extending flange of an underlying angle bar 23, having adownward flange 24. This construction not only stiifens the body side atthe doorway, but provides a protection for the doors by extendingtransversely beyond them and provides a weather-tight shield for thedoors when the doors are closed and then'raised in their own planes, ashereinafter explained, so that the upper ends extend into the channelprovided by the stiifened plate 42, and the downward flange 24.

Between the side doorways and the ends of the body, we employ suitablebracing leading .from the eaves to the floor frame. As shown, this iscomprised of vertical strips 26, and diagonal angle barsr21 flaringdownwardly from points near the top of the strip 26 to regionscomparatively near the end of the container and the doorway,respectively.`

The downwardly facing channels above the doorways at the sides and endsof the container, beside the wall-bracing and door-protecting effectsheretofore mentioned, are alsoof use in locking the doors if the doorswhen closed are raised in their own plane into such channels. We haveindicated at 80, in Figs. 1 and 3, leveroperated plunger devices adaptedto shove upwardly on the doors to cause them to enter the channels, butsuch construction and operation is not claimed herein, but in acopending application of ours.

The lift hooks 50 heretofore mentioned may be removably anchoredinsockets 5I (Fig. 1), rigidly secured to the car sides, and to the braces21. This feature is claimed in a copending application of ours. Thesehooks provide for lifting the body with its load by the attachment ofsuitable hoisting mechanism, the brace bars and sheets carrying thelifting stresses directly to the floor frame. Y

To enable the body Vto be transferred horizontally by a sk iddingaction, from one vehicle tofa'other,"we'provide' skid rails on theunderside of the floor frame. ,In the embodiment illustrated, thehorizontal shifting is intended to be transversely ofthe body, and,hence, the skid rails extend transversely. These rails are mounted onthe underside of the floor frame, beneath the I-beams I4.

We claim: i Y

1. A container having a floor frame, side and endV walls securedthereto, flooring within the container supported by the oor frame andspaced at its edges from the side walls to provide ventilation space,corrugated roong with its ridges and valleys arranged transversely, saidroofing being secured to the end walls and side Walls of the containerand providing a ventilation space from the interior discharging adjacentthe eaves of the container, and an angle bar secured to the top of thecorrugated roong adjacent the end and extending downwardly beyond theedge and spaced above the side Walls to form a protection for the rooiand a controller for the Ventilation.

2. A container having a floor frame, side Walls and a roof, eave platesconnecting the sides and roof and extending comparatively shortdistances inwardly into the container, means for admitting air into theinterior adjacent the fioor, the roof being corrugated with its ridgesand valleys arranged transversely, said rooi near its edges resting onsaid eave plates, whereby at the intermediate portion of the roof thedownwardly facing corrugations are in communication with the interiorand their ends are in communication with the exterior, and an angle barextending lengthwise of the container adjacent the edge of the roof andhaving one flange extending over the top of the corrugations and anotherilange extending downwardly across the ends of the corrugations andspaced at its lower edge above the eave plate.

3. A demountable container adapted for mounting interchangeably on ahighway truck or railway car, said container having side walls, endwalls, a floor, and a roof, said roof being corrugated with its ridgesand valleys extending transversely, the ridges providing flues from theinterior of the container open atthe end of the ridge, and alongitudinal bar extending across the ends of the ridges and partiallyclosing off the fiues formed by the ridges, thereby reducing thedischarge space therefrom without closing such space.

BENJAMIN F. FITCH. RAGNAR. A. NORBOM.

